THE WINNER OF the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize is Kate Harris (Atlin, BC) for her book Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road, published by Knopf Canada.
Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by the trustees and attended by the Prize finalists and members of the jury, at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of Camilla Gibb, Roy MacGregor and Beverley McLachlin read 105 books written by Canadian authors, and selected the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 9, 2019.
The remaining prize finalists are Bill Gaston (Victoria, BC) shortlisted for Just Let Me Look at You: On Fatherhood, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada;
Ian Hampton (Vancouver, BC) shortlisted for Jan in 35 Pieces: A Memoir in Music, published by Porcupine’s Quill;
Elizabeth Hay (Ottawa, ON) shortlisted for All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, published by McClelland & Stewart;
Darrel J. McLeod (Sooke, BC) shortlisted for Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, published by Douglas & McIntyre.
In April Kate Harris will announce the 2019 winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award, who will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under Ms Harris.
This is the eighteenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. This national award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented biennially and then made annual in 2004, the RBC Taylor Prize is given to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
For more information about the winner please visit our winner landing page. For more information about the finalists, the shortlisted books and jury citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page.

Launched to great success last year, the RBC Taylor Prize and the RBC Foundation today announced the return of this professional development program to support the next generation of Canadian writers.
Recognising the importance of Canada’s non-fiction writers, the RBC Taylor Prize has matched this year’s shortlisted authors with five of the top emerging voices in the genre of literary non-fiction.
The 2019 paricipants are:
Becky Blake (University of Guelph) — mentored by Elizabeth Hay
Kirk Angus Johnson (University of King’s College — Dalhousie) mentored by Kate Harris
Helen Knott (University of Northern British Columbia) — mentored by Darrel J. McLeod
Miles Steyn (University of Victoria) — mentored by Bill Gaston
Joshua Whitehead (University of Calgary — mentored by Ian Hampton Read more
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At a standing-room-only press conference held in downtown Toronto, two of the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize jurors, Camilla Gibb and Roy MacGregor announced the five finalists for this year’s Prize.
The finalists for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize are:
• Just Let Me Look at You: On Fatherhood, by Bill Gaston, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada
• Jan in 35 Pieces: A Memoir in Music, by Ian Hampton, published by Porcupine’s Quill
• Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road, by Kate Harris, published by Knopf Canada.
• All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, by Elizabeth Hay, published by McClelland & Stewart
• Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, by Darrel J. McLeod, published by Douglas & McIntyre.
All finalists will participate in a free 90-minute Round Table Discussion with the shortlisted authors in the Lakeside Terrace at Harbourfront, hosted by Toronto Star Books Editor, Deborah Dundas, on Thursday February 28, 2019 at 7pm, presented by the Toronto International Festival of Authors; and also at the Ben McNally Authors Brunch on Sunday March 3rd, at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto (for tickets, please contact Ben McNally Books at 416 361-0032 or visit benmcnallybooks.com).
The RBC Taylor Prize winner will be revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday March 4th, 2019 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.Link to the jury citations using the book images here.

THE TRUSTEES of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that jurors Camilla Gibb, Roy MacGregor and Beverley McLachlin have named ten titles to the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize longlist.
The jury noted that “We found the books breath-taking in their range of topics, and happily found so many of them serve as a useful barometer for current issues, from reconciliation to political trust. There is remarkable achievement here and we hope readers will celebrate that with us.”
The longlisted books for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize are:
1) Son of a Critch: A Childish Newfoundland Memoir, by Mark Critch, published by Viking/Penguin Canada
2) Just Let Me Look at You: On Fatherhood, by Bill Gaston, published by Hamish Hamilton/Penguin Canada
3) Jan in 35 Pieces: A Memoir in Music, by Ian Hampton, published by Porcupine’s Quill
4) Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Roads, by Kate Harris, published by Knopf Canada.
5) All Things Consoled: A Daughter’s Memoir, by Elizabeth Hay, published by McClelland & Stewart
6) Trust: Twenty Ways to Build a Better Country, by David Johnston, published by Signal/M&S **
7) Seeking the Fabled City: The Canadian Jewish Experience, by Allan Levine, published by McClelland and Stewart
8) Power, Prime Ministers and the Press: The Battle for Truth on Parliament Hill, by Robert Lewis, published by Dundurn Press.
9) Heart Berries: A Memoir, by Terese Marie Mailhot, published by Doubleday Canada
10) Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age, by Darrel McLeod, published by Douglas & McIntyre.
The RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 9th, 2019, and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday March 4th, 2019. Both events will be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. The media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, Cision, Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Toronto International Festival of Authors, and The Omni King Edward Hotel.
Read the Jury statement here.
Read the Jury Citations here.

The Trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that the jurors for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize are: Camilla Gibb, Roy MacGregor and Beverley McLachlin.
Noreen Taylor, Prize Founder and Chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, remarked: “In today's environment of fragmented media and constant accusations of “fake news”, literary non-fiction remains a critical medium for writers and readers — a trusted source of nuance and thoughtful argument. Our esteemed jurors will read over 120 submissions and deliberate over which books to include in December's long-list for the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize.”
The Longlist will be shared on Wednesday, December 12, 2018; the Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 9, 2019; and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday March 4, 2019.
For more information visit our 2019 Jury page.

National Magazine Award winner, Alicia Elliott, has been named the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer award by Tanya Talaga, winner of the 2018 RBC Taylor Price for her book Seven Fallen Feathers. As a journalist, Ms. Elliott, a Tuscarora writer living in Brantford, ON, has been widely published and she is currently the Geoffrey and Margaret Andrew Fellow in Creative Writing at UBC. The Award consists of $10,000 cash prize and mentorship by Ms. Talaga. For more information, visit our 2018 Emerging Writer Page.
For more information visit our 2018 Emerging Writer page.

THE WINNER OF the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize is Tanya Talaga (Toronto, ON) for her book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, published by House of Anansi Press.
Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by the trustees and attended by the Prize finalists and members of the jury, at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of Christine Elliott, Anne Giardini, and James Polk read 152 books written by Canadian authors, submitted by 110 Canadian and international publishers, selected the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 10, 2018.
The remaining prize finalists are Stephen R. Bown, (Canmore, AB) shortlisted for The Island of Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on Bering’s Great Voyage to Alaska, published by Douglas & McIntyre; Daniel Coleman (Hamilton, ON) shortlisted for Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place, published by Wolsak and Wynn; James Maskalyk (Toronto, ON) shortlisted for Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine, published by Doubleday Canada; and Max Wallace (Toronto, ON) shortlisted for In the Name of Humanity, published by Allen Lane Canada.
In late March Tanya Talaga will announce the 2018 winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award, who will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under Ms Talaga.
This is the seventeenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. This national award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented biennially and then made annual in 2004, the RBC Taylor Prize is given to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
For more information about the winner please visit our winner landing page. For more information about the finalists, the shortlisted books and jury citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page.

THE RBC FOUNDATION
and the RBC Taylor Prize take great pride in announcing the inaugural participants in a new national mentorship initiative designed to support the next generation of Canadian non-fiction writers.
Recognising the importance of Canada’s non-fiction writers, the RBC Taylor Prize has matched this year’s shortlisted authors with five of the top emerging voices in the genre of literary non-fiction.
The five inaugural participants are: Christopher Brown — Mentor: Stephen R. Bown; Antonio Michael Downing — Mentor: Max Wallace; Gena Ellett — Mentor: James Maskalyk; Stephanie Harrington — Mentor: Tanya Talaga; Martha Roberts — Mentor: Daniel Coleman.

Christine Elliott, Anne Giardini, and James Polk, the three members of the RBC Taylor Prize jury took to the podium to announce the five finalists for the seventeenth RBC Taylor Prize, The January 10th morning press conference was held at the Toronto Omni King Edward Hotel.
The five 2018 finalists are:
1. Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on Bering's Great Voyage to Alaska by Stephen R. Bown (Canmore, AB), published by Douglas & McIntyre
2. Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place by Daniel Coleman (Hamilton, ON), published by Wolsak and Wynn
3. Life on the Ground Floor: Letters from the Edge of Emergency Medicine by James Maskalyk (Toronto, ON; Addis Ababa, ETHIOPIA), published by Doubleday Canada
4. Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga (Toronto, ON), published by House of Anansi Press
5. In the Name of Humanity by Max Wallace (Toronto, ON) published by Allen Lane Canada.
Meet the finalists and hear them discuss their books at a free 90-minute Round Table Discussion with the shortlisted authors in the Lillian Smith Library on February 22, 2018 at 7pm. The finalists will also be speaking at the Ben McNally Authors Brunch on Sunday February 25, at the Omni King Edward Hotel (for tickets, contact Ben McNally Books (416) 361-0032 or at benmcnallybooks.com).
The 17th annual prize will be awarded Mon Feb 26th at a gala luncheon. The Prize consists of $30,000 for the winner and $5000 for each of the finalists. The finalists and the winner are supported by an extensive promotional campaign.
Sharing a commitment to emerging Canadian talent, The Charles Taylor Foundation and RBC will also grant the fifth annual RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writers Award. Shortly after the announcement of the 2018 Prize, its winner will name their choice of emerging author to receive this $10,000 award.

THE TRUSTEES of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that jurors Christine Elliott, Anne Giardini, and James Polk have named ten titles to the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize longlist.
“As veteran readers and jury members, this year’s jury is in agreement that we have never seen such overall excellence as in the RBC Taylor Prize submissions that we read this year. We have delighted in the range of topics, the depth of enquiry, the quality of the writing, and the many new voices and perspectives. Canada is very well served by its non-fiction writers,” the jury notes.
The Longlisted books for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize are:
1) Island of the Blue Foxes: Disaster and Triumph on Bering's Great Voyage to Alaska by Stephen R. Bown (Canmore, AB), published by Douglas & McIntyre
2) How to Fall in Love with Anyone by Mandy Len Catron (Vancouver, BC), published by Simon & Schuster
3) Yardwork: A Biography of an Urban Place by Daniel Coleman (Hamilton, ON), published by Wolsak and Wynn Publishers
4) The Marriott Cell: An Epic Journey from Cairo's Scorpion Prison to Freedom by Mohamed Fahmy (Vancouver, BC) and Carol Shaben (Vancouver, BC), published by Random House Canada
5) Solitude: A Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris (Vancouver, BC), published by Doubleday Canada
6) Life on the Ground Floor: Letters From the Edge of Emergency Medicine by James Maskalyk (Toronto, ON), published by Doubleday Canada
7) A History of Canada in Ten Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land by Adam Shoalts (Fenwick, ON), published by Allen Lane Canada / Penguin Random House Canada
8) Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City, by Tanya Talaga (Toronto, ON), published by House of Anansi Press
9) In the Name of Humanity by Max Wallace (Toronto, ON), published by Allen Lane Canada / Penguin Random House Canada
10) Apron Strings: Navigating Food and Family in France, Italy, and China by Jan Wong (Fredericton, NB), published by Goose Lane Edition
The RBC Taylor Prize Shortlist will be announced at a news conference on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday February 26, 2018.Both events will be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. The media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, Cision, Maclean's magazine, Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library BoardBoard.

The trustees are pleasedto announce that Ontario Ombudsman Christine Elliott, author and chancellor Anne Giardini, and author and book editor James Polk will form the Jury for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize.
Noreen Taylor, Chairman of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Founder of the Prize commented: “Literary non-fiction is the best medium for our nation’s top authors to examine the world beyond the recording of facts and a parade of data. We all look forward with great anticipation to your selections for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize. Readers across the country look forward with great anticipation to the jury’s selections for the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize.”
The 2018 Prize longlist will be shared on Wednesday, December 6, 2017. The shortlist will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday February 26, 2018. Read more

Exciting changesfor the prize cycle are detailed in the submission guidelines.
Prior to submitting, please read the guidelines carefully and contact Su Hutchinson, Executive Director at rbctaylorprize@gmail.com should any questions arise.

Cassi Smitha Saskatchewan based graduate student and writer most recently awarded a Saskatchewan Innovation and Opportunity Scholarship has been named the recipient of the 2017 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award by Ross King, winner of the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize for his book Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies. The Award consists of a $10,000 cash prize and mentorship by Mr. King.
For more information about Emerging Writer Cassi Smith please visit our 2017 Emerging Writer page page.

THE WINNER OF the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize is Ross King (Oxford, England) for his book Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of the Water Lilies, published by Bond Street Books.
Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by the trustees and attended by the Prize finalists and members of the jury, at The Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of award-winning author Colin McAdam, award-winning author and historian John English, and journalist Ann MacMillan read 101 books written by Canadian authors, submitted by 29 Canadian and international publishers, selected the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 11, 2017.
The remaining prize finalists are Max Eisen (Toronto, Ontario) for his book By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz, published by HarperCollins Canada; Matti Friedman (Jerusalem) for his book Pumpkinflowers: An Israeli Soldier’s Story, published by Signal/McClelland & Stewart; Marc Raboy (Montreal, QC) for his book Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World, published by Oxford University Press; and Diane Schoemperlen (Kingston, ON) for her book This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications, published by HarperCollins Canada.
In late March Ross King will announce the 2017 winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award. He or she will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under King.
This is the sixteenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. This national award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented biennially and then made annual in 2004, the RBC Taylor Prize is given to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
For more information about the winner please visit our winnerlanding page. For more information about the finalists, the shortlisted books and jury citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page.

THIS MORNING Noreen Taylor, founder of the literary non-fiction RBC Taylor Prize and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, welcomed an audience of publishers, media, booksellers, and prize sponsors to the sixteenth annual announcement of the RBC Taylor Prize shortlist, held at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Mrs. Taylor was joined by Vijay Parmar, President of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel and a trustee of the Charles Taylor Foundation, on behalf of RBC Wealth Management, presenting sponsor of the Prize.
Juror Colin McAdam was on hand to present the five authors selected to advance from the longlist to the shortlist and read the Jury's citations about each of the books. Jurors John English and Ann MacMillan were unable to attend.
The 2017 shortlist is as follows: By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by Max Eisen (Toronto, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada; Pumpkinflowers: An Israeli Soldier’s Story by Matti Friedman (Jerusalem), published by Signal / McClelland & Stewart; Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies by Ross King (Oxford, England), published by Bond Street Books; Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World by Marc Raboy (Montreal, QC), published by Oxford University Press; and This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications by Diane Schoemperlen (Kingston, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada.
For more information about the finalists and their shortlisted books, including the jury's citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page. Meet the finalists in the Toronto Reference Library Atrium for a free 90-minute Round Table Discussion presented by the Toronto Public Library and Harbourfront Centre’s International Festival of Authors; and the Ben McNally/The Globe and Mail Authors Brunch on Sunday, March 5th at 10:00 a.m. at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto (for tickets, please contact Ben McNally Books at (416) 361-0032 or visit benmcnallybooks.com). The winner will be announced at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 6th, also at the Omni King Edward Hotel.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, CNW Group, Maclean’s magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.

THE TRUSTEES of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that jurors John English, Ann MacMillan, and Colin McAdam have named the following twelve titles to the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize longlist: “Each of these titles represents a contribution: whether it is to knowledge, to how we understand ourselves, or to how we might make sense of our complicated planet. As a whole, this list reveals a world of war, survival, art, whales, and wireless connectivity—people playing games and people suffering harm. We applaud these authors who devoted such energy, scholarship, and sympathy to their subjects. All of these books should be read,” the jury notes.

The 2017 RBC Taylor Prize Longlist:
1) Waiting for First Light: My Ongoing Battle with PTSD by ROMEO DALLAIRE (Ottawa, ON), published by Random House Canada
2) By Chance Alone: A Remarkable True Story of Courage and Survival at Auschwitz by MAX EISEN (Toronto, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada
3) Pumpkinflowers: A Soldier’s Story of a Forgotten War by MATTI FRIEDMAN (Jerusalem), published by Signal / McClelland & Stewart
4) An Intimate Wilderness: Arctic Voices in a Land of Vast Horizons by NORMAN HALLENDY (Carp, ON), published by Greystone Books
5) Mad Enchantment: Claude Monet and the Painting of Water Lilies by ROSS KING (Oxford, England), published by Bond Street Books
6) The Killer Whale Who Changed the World by MARK LEIREN-YOUNG (Vancouver, BC), published by Greystone Books
7) Marconi: The Man Who Networked the World by MARC RABOY (Montreal, QC), published by Oxford University Press
8) Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend, by DAN ROBSON (Toronto, ON), published by Penguin Random House Canada
9) Wait Time: A Memoir of Cancer by KENNETH SHERMAN (Toronto, ON), published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press
10) This Is Not My Life: A Memoir of Love, Prison, and Other Complications by DIANE SCHOEMPERLEN (Kingston, ON), published by HarperCollins Canada
11) Invisible North: The Search for Answers on a Troubled Reserve by ALEXANDRA SHIMO (Toronto, ON), published by Dundurn Press
12) A World We Have Lost: Saskatchewan Before 1905 by BILL WAISER (Saskatoon, SK), published by Fifth House Books
The shortlist will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, January 11, 2017. The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a gala awards luncheon on Monday, March 6, 2017. Both events will be held at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail, CNW Group, Maclean’s magazine, Quill & Quire magazine, and SiriusXM; its in-kind sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and the Toronto Public Library Board.

The trustees are pleasedto announce that Canadian historian John English, Journalist Ann MacMillan, and award-winning author Colin McAdam will form the Jury for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize.
Noreen Taylor, Chairman of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Founder of the Prize commented: “This is a prize that pushes non-fiction boundaries through the diligent, thoughtful, and sheer hard work of its jury. Heartfelt thanks for your essential involvement! We all look forward with great anticipation to your selections for the 2017 RBC Taylor Prize.”
The 2017 Prize longlist will be shared on Wednesday, December 7, 2016. The shortlist will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, January 11 and the winner revealed at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 6, 2017. Read more

Adnan Khana Toronto, Ontario based author and playwright most recently nominated for a National Magazine Award, has been named the recipient of the 2016 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award by Rosemary Sullivan, winner of the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize for her book Stalin’s Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva. The Award consists of a $10,000 cash prize and mentorship by Ms Sullivan.
For more information about Emerging Writer Adnan Khan please visit our 2016 Emerging Writer page page.

The submission guidelinesand important dates have been updated and only submissions made via the online form will be accepted.
The prize will be granted on March 6, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario.
To access the submissions requirements, review the submissions dates and make an online submission go to our submissions landing page.

THE WINNER OF the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize is Rosemary Sullivan for Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, published by HarperCollins Publishers. Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by Noreen Taylor and members of the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize jury, at Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of well-known broadcast executive Susanne Boyce, award-winning author and educator Joseph Kertes, and distinguished scholar Stephen J. Toope, read 120 books, submitted by publishers from around the world, and chose the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 13, 2016. The remaining prize finalists are Ian Brown (Toronto, Ontario) for Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? published by Random House Canada; Camilla Gibb (Toronto, Ontario) for This Is Happy , published by Doubleday Canada; David Halton (Ottawa, Ontario) for Dispatches from the Front: Matthew Halton, Canada's Voice at War , published by McClelland & Stewart; and Wab Kinew (Winnipeg, Manitoba) for The Reason You Walk, published by Viking Canada.
In late March Rosemary Sullivan will announce the 2016 winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award. The winning author will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under Rosemary Sullivan.
This is the fifteenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. The national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the RBC Taylor Prize is given to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception.
For more information about the winner please visit our winner landing page. For more information about the finalists, the shortlisted books, including the jury's citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page.

This morning Noreen Taylor, founder of the literary non-fiction RBC Taylor Prize, chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, addressed an audience of publishers, booksellers, prize sponsors, and media at the fifteenth annual shortlist announcement, held at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Mrs. Taylor was joined by Vijay Parmar, President of RBC PH&N Investment Counsel who remarked on the diversity and breadth of subjects contained in the finalists' books.
In introducing the 2016 Prize jury, composed of Susanne Boyce, Joseph Kertes and Stephen J. Toope, Mrs. Taylor spoke of the challenge facing this year’s jury as they considered the 121 books submitted and derived a shortlist that truly exemplifies the coming-of-age of Canadian literary non-fiction.
Boyce and Toope spoke about their process and announced the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize finalists, as follows: Ian Brown (Toronto, Ontario) for Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? published by Random House Canada; Camilla Gibb (Toronto, Ontario) for This Is Happy, published by Doubleday Canada; David Halton (Ottawa, Ontario) for Dispatches from the Front: Matthew Halton, Canada's Voice at War, published by McClelland & Stewart; Wab Kinew (Winnipeg, Manitoba) for The Reason You Walk, published by Viking Canada; and Rosemary Sullivan (Toronto, Ontario) for Stalin’s Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva, published by HarperCollins Publishers.
For more information about the finalists and their shortlisted books, including the jury's citations, title summaries and author biographies, please visit our finalists landing page. Meet the finalists in the Toronto Reference Library Atrium for a free 90-minute Round Table Discussion presented by the Toronto Public Library and Harbourfront Centre’s International Festival of Authors; and the Ben McNally/ The Globe and Mail Authors Brunch on Sunday, March 6th at 10:00 a.m. at the Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto (for tickets, please contact Ben McNally Books at (416) 361-0032 or visit benmcnallybooks.com). The winner will be announced at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 7th, also at the Omni King Edward Hotel.

The trusteesof the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce that jurors Susanne Boyce, Steven Galloway, and Dr. Stephen J. Toope have named the following twelve titles to the 2016 RBC Taylor Prize longlist: “These twelve titles stand united in their outstanding literary quality. They represent the best in literary non-fiction published this year,” the jury notes.
The 2016 RBC Taylor Prize Longlist:
1. Sixty: The Beginning of the End, or the End of the Beginning? by IAN BROWN (Toronto), published by Random House Canada
2. ’Membering by AUSTEN CLARKE (Toronto), published by Dundurn Press
3. Two Days in June: John F. Kennedy and the 48 Hours that Made History by ANDREW COHEN (Ottawa), published by McClelland & Stewart/Signal
4. Road Trip Rwanda: A Journey Into the New Heart of Africa by WILL FERGUSON (Calgary), published by Viking Canada
5. This Is Happy by CAMILLA GIBB (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada
6. Dispatches from the Front: Matthew Halton, Canada's Voice at War by DAVID HALTON (Ottawa), published by McClelland & Stewart
7. The Reason You Walk by WAB KINEW (Winnipeg), published by Viking Canada
8. Zoraster’s Children: & Other Travels by MARIUS KOCIEJOWSKI (London, England), published by Biblioasis
9. Genius at Play: The Curious Mind of John Horton Conway by SIOBHAN ROBERTS (Toronto), published by Bloomsbury U.S.A.
10. Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva by ROSEMARY SULLIVAN (Toronto), published by HarperCollins Publishers
11. The Prison Book Club by ANN WALMSLEY (Toronto), published by Viking Canada
12. Into the Blizzard: Walking the Fields of the Newfoundland Dead by MICHAEL WINTER (Toronto), published by Doubleday Canada
As the Jury continues their deliberations, Steven Galloway has announced that he
will step down for personal reasons. In his place, the trustees have selected award-winning
author, educator, and previous juror Joseph Kertes, who joins former broadcast program
chief Susanne Boyce and Dr. Stephen J. Toope, director of the Munk School of
Global Affairs at the University of Toronto.
The shortlist will be announced at a press conference on Wednesday, January 13th.
The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a gala awards
luncheon on Monday, March 7th. Both events will be held at the Omni King Edward
Hotel in Downtown Toronto.
The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management. Its
media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor), CNW Group, Maclean’s magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind
sponsors are Ben McNally Books, Event Source, IFOA, The Omni King Edward Hotel, and
the Toronto Public Library Board.

We are pleasedto announce that the jurors for the 2016 Prize are award-winning author Steven Galloway, distinguished scholar Stephen J. Toope, and well-known broadcast executive Susanne Boyce.
Noreen Taylor, Chairman of the Charles Taylor Foundation and Founder of the Prize commented: “I am thrilled at the calibre of this year’s jury. Canadians from coast to coast, their varied and many accomplishments inform their understanding and wisdom. Everything begins with the jury and I can’t thank them enough for their exceedingly hard work. I look forward with great anticipation to their selections for the 2016 Prize.” The Prize longlist is set to be revealed on Wednesday, December 9, 2015. The shortlist will be shared at a press conference on Wednesday, January 13, 2016. The shortlisted authors will be celebrated and the winner announced at a gala luncheon on Monday, March 7, 2016.
Read more
Publishers are reminded to submit their titles for consideration and to take note that no books will be accepted after the final submission deadline of November 2, 2015, per the details outlined at this link:
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Iain Reid, a Kingston, Ontario based author and frequent contributor to many of Canada's top newspapers and magazines has been named the recipient of the 2015 RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. He was chosen for the Award by Plum Johnson whose book They Left Us Everything: A Memoir, won the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize in early March. Plum Johnson noted that his second non-fiction work, The Truth About Luck, recounts a road trip he took with his 92 year-old grandmother, and links well with her winning book that looks at her relationship with her aging mother.
Read moreWatch a video of the event.Watch a video of Iain discussing his award.Watch a podcast of Iain’s CBC Radio interview.

The public will have an opportunity to meet and hear the five finalists for the RBC Taylor Prize free on Thursday, February 26th at the Toronto Reference Library. The five authors are will be on stage with Mark Medley. Mark Medley is The Globe and Mail’s books editor. He currently sits on PEN Canada's Board of Directors and serves on the Advisory Committee of Humber’s School for Writers. The Toronto Public Library and Harbourfront Centre’s International Festival of Authors are organizing this special evening. The round table discussion will begin at 7:00 p.m. and run until 8.30 p.m. There will be a Question and Answer Period and the authors will stay for a book signing when the 90-minute programme ends. The event will be held in the large Bram and Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library, 789 Yonge Street, and Toronto.

This morning Noreen Taylor, founder of the RBC Taylor Prize granted for literary non-fiction and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, addressed an audience of publishers, booksellers, prize sponsors, and media at the fourteenth annual shortlist announcement. The announcement took place in the Consort Bar at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Mrs. Taylor was joined by Vijay Parmar, President, PH&N Investment Counsel, RBC Wealth Management,who celebrated the diversity and breadth of subjects covered in this year's finalist titles.
In introducing the 2015 prize jury composed of , Kevin Garland, Martin Levin; and former Charles Taylor Prize winner Andrew Preston, Mrs. Taylor noted the difficult mission facing this year’s jury. From 121 books submitted the jury derived a shortlist that exemplifies the true coming of age of Canadian literary non-fiction.
Martin Levin spoke about the process of making their selections, and announced the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize finalists, as follows: Plum Johnson (Toronto, Ontario) They Left Us Everything (Penguin Canada); David O’Keefe (Montreal, Quebec) One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada’s Tragedy at Dieppe (Random House Canada); Barbara Taylor (London, England) The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness in our Times (Hamish Hamilton Canada); M. G. Vassanji (Toronto, Ontario) And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa (Doubleday Canada); Kathleen Winter (Montreal, Quebec) Boundless (House of Anansi Press).

For more information about the finalists books and authors, please visit our finalists landing page. See the links on the cover images on the finalists landing page for author bios and jury citations. Join the five finalists on February 26 starting at 7 pm at the Toronto Reference Library for a free Round Table discussion. Visit: tpl.ca/taylorprize.
For links to high resolution images of the longlist books and links to purchase each title, you can also visit our longlist page

NOREEN TAYLOR, VIJAY PARMAR, and jurors Kevin Garland, Martin Levin, and Andrew Preston reveal a long-list of 12 diverse and deeply thoughtful works of literary non-fiction, just in time for Christmas book shopping!

1. The Necessary War, Volume One by TIM COOK (Ottawa, Ontario), published by Penguin Canada
2. The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection by MICHAEL HARRIS (Toronto, Ontario), published by HarperCollins Canada
3. They Left Us Everything by PLUM JOHNSON (Toronto, Ontario), published by Penguin Canada
4. This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by NAOMI KLEIN (Toronto, Ontario), published by Knopf Canada
5. Berlin: Imagine a City by RORY MacLEAN (London, England), published by Hachette Book Group Canada
6. Happy City by CHARLES MONTGOMERY (Vancouver, British Columbia), published by Doubleday Canada
7. One Day in August: The Untold Story Behind Canada’s Tragedy at Dieppe by DAVID O’KEEFE (Montreal, Quebec), published by Random House Canada
8. Warsaw 1944: Hitler, Himmler, and the Warsaw Uprising by ALEXANDRA RICHIE (Warsaw, Poland), published by HarperCollins Canada
9. Puckstruck: Distracted, Delighted and Distressed by Canada’s Hockey Obsession by STEPHEN SMITH (Toronto, Ontario), published by Greystone Books
10. The Last Asylum: A Memoir of Madness in our Times by BARBARA TAYLOR (London, England), published by Hamish Hamilton Canada
11. And Home Was Kariakoo: A Memoir of East Africa by M. G. VASSANJI (Toronto, Ontario), published by Doubleday Canada
12. Boundless by KATHLEEN WINTER (Montreal, Quebec), published by House of Anansi Press

The jurors for the 2015 prize are business leader and arts executive Kevin Garland (Toronto, Ontario), editor and columnist Martin Levin (Toronto, Ontario), and writer, lecturer, and previous Taylor Prize winner (2013) Andrew Preston (Cambridge, England). The diversity and accomplishments of these three bring a wealth of experience to this year’s process of recognizing excellence in literary non-fiction writing and they are poised to announce their long list on Tuesday, December 10, 2014. The shortlist comes to public view on Wednesday, January 14, 2015 and the winner will be announced on Monday, March 2, 2015.

The 2014 winner of the prestigious RBC Taylor Prize, Thomas
King, sits down for a panel discussion with Aboriginal writers Tony Birch (Melbourne, Australia),
Lee Maracle (Vancouver, British Columbia) and Ellen van Neerven (Brisbane, Australia) about Indigenous writing traditions and
contemporary Indigenous literature. We Were Here First, will be hosted and moderated
by Waubgeshig Rice.
The conversation is part of Planet IndigenUS. Planet IndigenUS gives prominence to the voices, stories and cultures of Indigenous people that are largely absent from the Canadian narrative. This project has been assisted by the Australian
Government through the Australia Council for the
Arts, its art funding and advisory body, and the
Melbourne Writers Festival.
read more about the participants here

Leanne Simpson, a writer, scholar, storyteller and activist for Indigenous Peoples has been named the recipient of the inaugural RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. Ms. Simpson was nominated for the Award by Thomas King whose book, The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America won the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize. Established jointly by RBC and the Taylor Prize to promote emerging talent in non-fiction, the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award consists of a $10,000 cash prize, as well as the opportunity to be mentored by the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize winner.
““For me, Leanne Simpson was an obvious choice,” said Thomas King. “She is …
read more

THE WINNER OF the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize is Thomas King for The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America, published by Doubleday Canada. Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by Noreen Taylor and members of the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize jury, at Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of U.K.-based university professor and critic, Coral Ann Howells; editorial director, author and professor, James Polk; and author, English and creative writing instructor and former Charles Taylor Prize winner, Andrew Westoll, read 124 books, submitted by 45 publishers from around the world, and chose the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 15, 2014. The remaining prize finalists are Charlotte Gray, author of The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial that Shocked a Country, published by HarperCollins; J.B. MacKinnon, author of The Once and Future World: Nature As it Was, As it Is, As it Could Be, published by Random House Canada; Graeme Smith, author of The Dogs are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan, published by Knopf Canada; and David Stouck, author of Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life, published by Douglas & McIntyre.
On March 17, Thomas King will announce the inaugural winner of the RBC Taylor Emerging Author award. The winning author will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to be mentored under Thomas King.
This is the thirteenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. The national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception.

Judith Mappin was the sister of the late Charles Taylor and a trustee of the Charles Taylor Foundation. In 1974, with two partners, she established the Double Hook Book Shop in Montreal's Greene Avenue Village, where she became well known as a champion of Canadian authors and their books. She retired on July 31, 2005, and closed the bookstore at that time.
Mrs. Mappin was celebrated as a philanthropist and supporter of Canadian authors. In 2005, she received a President's Award of Distinction from the Association of Canadian Publishers. In 2006, she received an honorary Doctor of Letters degree from McGill University. Her appointment as a Member of the Order of Canada was announced on July 1, 2008.
She served a term as director of the Canadian Booksellers Association and was a founding member and director for nine years of the Quebec Society for the Promotion of English Language Literature (QSPELL). At the time of her passing, she was president of Windfields Farm Limited.
Up until Christmas, Judith Mappin was an active participant in all Charles Taylor Foundation discussions. Her wise council reflected her authoritative experience in the book industry. She will always be remembered as a stalwart promoter of Canadian Literature.

In memory of Judith Mappin:• The Montreal Gazette published an obituary and article about Judith Mappin.
• Mrs. Mappin's obituary on Quill & Quire.• CBC Radio produced a story about Mrs. Mappin, which includes an interview where she discussed her bookstore and Canadian books. • The National Post published a tribute to Mrs. Mappin, written by publisher Marc Côté

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NEWS UPDATE — FEBRUARY 2014

RBC TAYLOR PRIZE FINALISTS TO SPEAK AT THE IFOA: INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS

ON FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014, AT 7:30 PM, all five finalists for the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize will join in a round table discussion to talk about their shortlisted books. The conversation will be moderated by David Staines. The event will take place at Harbourfront's York Quay Centre – Lakeside Terrace. Tickets are $10 and are free to supporters, students & youth 25 and under. Click here for information and tickets.

NEWS UPDATE — JANUARY 15, 2014

RBC TAYLOR PRIZE ANNOUNCES 2014 FINALISTS

This morning Noreen Taylor, founder of the RBC Taylor Prize granted for literary non-fiction and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, addressed an audience of publishers, booksellers, prize sponsors, and media at the thirteenth annual shortlist announcement. The announcement took place in the Consort Bar at the historic Omni King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
Mrs. Taylor was joined by Vijay Parmar, President, PH&N Investment Counsel, RBC Wealth Management, who announced an exciting new initiative in 2014 on the part of between RBC and the Charles Taylor Foundation. Through a mutual commitment to fostering emerging Canadian artists, a mentoring program for an emerging Canadian author of non-fiction has been established.
In introducing the 2014 prize jury composed of U.K.-based university professor and critic, Coral Ann Howells; editorial director, author and professor, James Polk; and author, English and creative writing instructor and former Charles Taylor Prize winner Andrew Westoll, Mrs. Taylor noted the difficult mission facing this year’s jury. From 124 books submitted by 45 publishers the jury derived a shortlist that exemplifies the true coming of age of Canadian literary non-fiction.
Mr. Polk spoke about the process of making their selections, and joined by Mr. Westoll announced the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize finalists, as follows: Charlotte Gray (Ottawa, Ontario) The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master, and the Trial That Shocked a Country (HarperCollins); Thomas King (Guelph, Ontario) The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (Doubleday Canada); J.B. MacKinnon (Vancouver, BC) The Once and Future World: Nature As It Was, As It Is, As It Could Be (Random House Canada); Graeme Smith (Afghanistan) The Dogs Are
Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan (Alfred A. Knopf Canada); David Stouck(Vancouver, BC) Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life (Douglas & McIntyre).

NOREEN TAYLOR AND JURORS Coral Ann Howells, James Polk, and Andrew Westoll reveal a dozen stellar works of literary non-fiction, just in time for Christmas book shopping!
1. The Juggler's Children: A Journey in Family, Legend and the Genes that Bind Us by Carolyn Abraham (Toronto, Ontario), published by Random House Canada
2. The Massey Murder: A Maid, Her Master and the Trial that Shocked a Country by Charlotte Gray (Ottawa, Ontario), published by HarperCollins
3. Let the Eastern Bastards Freeze in the Dark: The West Versus the Rest Since Confederation by Mary Janigan (Toronto, Ontario), published by Vintage Canada
4. The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King (Guelph, Ontario), published by Doubleday Canada
5. The Once and Future World: Nature As it Was, As it Is, As it Could Be by J.B. MacKinnon (Vancouver, BC), published by Random House Canada
6. The War that Ended Peace: The Road to 1914 by Margaret MacMillan (Oxford, England), published by Allen Lane
7. How Architecture Works: A Humanist’s Toolkit by Witold Rybczynski (Philadelphia, PA), published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux
8. The Dogs are Eating Them Now: Our War in Afghanistan by Graeme Smith (Afghanistan), published by Knopf Canada
9. Arthur Erickson: An Architect’s Life by David Stouck (Vancouver, BC), published by Douglas & McIntyre
10. Without Honour: The True Story of the Shafia Family and the Kingston Canal Murders by Rob Tripp (Calgary, Alberta), published by HarperCollins
11. Confessions of a Fairy’s Daughter: Growing Up with a Gay Dad by Alison Wearing (Stratford, Ontario), published by Knopf Canada
12. Little Ship of Fools: 16 Rowers, 1 Improbable Boat, 7 Tumultuous Weeks on the Atlantic by Charles Wilkins (Thunder Bay, Ontario), published by Greystone Books

THE WORD IS OUT! The jurors for the 2014 prize are English Canadian literature professor and critic Coral Ann Howells (London, England), editor, publisher and arts consultant James Polk (Toronto, Ontario), and writer, lecturer, and previous Taylor Prize winner (2012) Andrew Westoll (Toronto Ontario). These three accomplished advocates of Canadian literature bring a wealth of experience to this year’s process of recognizing excellence in literary non-fiction writing and they are poised to announce their longlist this Wednesday, December 11. The shortlist comes to public view on Wednesday, January 15 and the winner will be announced on March 10, 2014.

NEWS UPDATE — December 9, 2013RBC NAMING RIGHTS AND A NEW AWARD FOR EMERGING WRITERS ANNOUNCED

EFFECTIVE TODAY, our name changes to RBC Taylor Prize and our 2014 winner will name the recipient of the first RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award.
Charles Taylor Foundation Founder and Chair, Noreen Taylor explains: “RBC Wealth Management has been a marvelous partner and presenting sponsor. They have widened the prize reach by touring the past Charles Taylor Prize winners in cities across Canada, as well as providing North American (and in fact worldwide) awareness of both the finalists and winners through vehicles like the four-page New Yorker insert. Now joining forces in a more integrated manner, the name change signals an integrated approach between RBC and the Charles Taylor Foundation, enabling the Prize to expand its recognition of excellence to emerging literary non-fiction writers. Through RBC’s leadership and support, a new generation of writers will carry forward the concepts of the engaged society, and our civil discourse will penetrate more deeply and lastingly into our national fabric.”
The Charles Taylor Foundation wishes to thank each of its sponsors for their valuable contributions to the prestigious Prize: The presenting sponsor of the RBC Taylor Prize is RBC Wealth Management; its Major Sponsor is Metropia; its media sponsors are The Globe and Mail (exclusive newspaper sponsor); CNW Group; Maclean’s magazine, and Quill & Quire magazine; its in-kind sponsors are Authors at Harbourfront Centre, Ben McNally Books, Event Source, Indigo Books and Music, Kobo Inc., and The Omni King Edward Hotel.

NEWS UPDATE — October 22, 2013ANDREW PRESTON RETURNS TO CANADA FOR A SIGNATURE EVENT AT IFOA

THE INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AUTHORS (IFOA) once again joins forces with The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction (CTP) for an evening of literary discussion featuring CTP 2013 winner, Andrew Preston, author of Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy. Dr. Preston will be joined onstage by Governor General’s Literary Award winner and Globe and Mail columnist Jeffrey Simpson. The Saturday night event will be held at the Fleck Dance Theatre in Harbourfront’s Queen’s Quay Terminal Building on Queen’s Quay West. Andrew Preston will give a keynote address, followed by an onstage interview with Jeffrey Simpson. CTP founder Noreen Taylor will speak about the prize:
“In light of current events, Andrew Preston’s well-researched reflections on the religious underpinnings of American Foreign and Domestic Policy offer important insights into what we as Canadians are like, as well as offering close inspection of our neighbours to the South, said Mrs. Taylor. “As for Jeffrey Simpson, his background in both Canadian and American affairs is justifiably award-winning.With Jeffrey interviewing Andrew, I think we are all in for a treat. It will be nothing short of brain candy.”WHEN: Saturday, October 26 at 8:00 pm WHERE: Harbourfront’s Fleck Dance Theatre, 207 Queens Quay West, Toronto
For more details see the notice of event: here

THE WINNER OF the 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is Andrew Preston for Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy, published by Knopf Canada. Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by CBC’s Mary Ito, at The King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of broadcast executive Susanne Boyce, award-winning author Richard Gwyn, and author/educator Joseph Kertes, read 129 books, submitted by 43 publishers from around the world, and chose the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 9, 2013. The remaining prize finalists are Carol Bishop-Gwyn, author of The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca, published by Cormorant Books; Tim Cook, author of Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars, published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Canada; Sandra Djwa, author of Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press; and Ross King, author of Leonardo and The Last Supper, published by Bond Street Books.
This is the twelfth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. The national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception.

NEWS UPDATE — March 2, 2013
Team Taylor Prize is Everywhere!

During the past week,
the finalists for The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction have done interviews with all of our media partners and participated in a panel discussion presented by Authors at Harbourfront Centre and Maclean’s magazine. They get to know each other pretty well with all of that activity – pictured here, left to right, are: Tim Cook, Carol Bishop-Gwyn, Sandra Djwa, Ross King, and Andrew Preston. Check back on this web page and follow @taylorprize on Twitter. This year’s prize winner will be announced on Monday, March 4th at 2:30 p.m.

NEWS UPDATE — January 31, 2013All Finalists’ Event!

Reserve your tickets now to meet all five finalists for The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, presented by RBC Wealth Management, on Wednesday, February 27th at Authors at Harbourfront Centre. The host for the evening is Kenneth Whyte, president of Rogers Publishing, and the moderator is Dr. David Staines, who is also a trustee of the Charles Taylor Foundation. To purchase your tickets, click here:tickets.harbourfrontcentre.com

NEWS UPDATE — January 9, 2013Five Canadian Authors Living at Home and Abroad Vie for the 2013 Taylor Prize

Kicking off the first literary award of the New Year is none other than the prestigious Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction.
This morning, Noreen Taylor, prize founder and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, and Vijay Parmar, President, PH&N Investment Counsel, RBC Wealth Management welcomed a standing-room-only crowd of publishers and journalists, who gathered at The King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto to hear the names of the five authors shortlisted for The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction presented by RBC Wealth Management. The prize finalists are: Carol Bishop-Gwyn (Toronto) for The Pursuit of Perfection: A Life of Celia Franca, published by Cormorant Books; Tim Cook (Ottawa) for Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King, and Canada’s World Wars, published by Allen Lane, an imprint of Penguin Canada; Sandra Djwa (Vancouver) for Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press; Ross King (Woodstock, England) for Leonardo and The Last Supper, published by Bond Street Books, an imprint of Doubleday Canada; and Andrew Preston (Cambridge, England) for Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy, published by Knopf Canada.
The 2013 prize jurors are broadcast executive Susanne Boyce, award-winning author and newspaper columnist Richard Gwyn, who won the 2008 Taylor Prize, and award-winning author and Humber School for Writers founder Joseph Kertes. In determining their shortlist, the jury read and reviewed 129 Canadian-authored non-fiction books submitted by 43 publishers from around the world. The prize commemorates the life and work of the late Charles Taylor, one of Canada’s foremost essayists and a prominent member of the Canadian literary community. Charles Taylor was a foreign correspondent with The Globe and Mail and the author of four books: Radical Tories; Reporter in Red China; Six Journeys: A Canadian Pattern; and Snow Job. Awarded annually to the author whose book best combines a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style, and a subtlety of thought and perception, the winner receives $25,000 and the remaining finalists each receive $2000. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are Michael Bradley (Toronto), Judith Mappin (Montreal), David Staines (Ottawa), and Noreen Taylor (Toronto). The Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support of its sponsors for the 2013 prize: Presenting Sponsor RBC Wealth Management, Major Sponsor Metropia, Exclusive Newspaper Sponsor The Globe and Mail, Media Sponsors CBC Books and CBC Radio One, CNW Group, Maclean’s magazine and Quill & Quire magazine; and In-Kind Sponsors Authors at Harbourfront Centre; Ben McNally Books; Event Source; Indigo Books and Music;, The King Edward hotel; and Kobo Inc.

NEWS UPDATE — December 4, 2012JUST IN TIME FOR HOLIDAY SHOPPING — THE 2013 TAYLOR PRIZE LONGLIST FEATURES Fifteen BOOKS OF EXCEPTIONAL VALUE

The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation are pleased to announce the fifteen titles longlisted for the 2013 prize. Noreen Taylor, prize founder, said: “Last year the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction announced its first ever longlist and found that sharing the jury’s selections to be so valuable to authors and publishers that we have decided to do it again. Announcing the longlist at the height of the Christmas shopping season will help discriminating book buyers find the right gift for any number of people on their list.”
The shortlist will be announced on January 9, and the winner will be announced on March 4, 2013 at events in downtown Toronto.
The longlisted titles for The 2013 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction are:
1. The Pursuit of Perfection: the life of Celia Franca by Carol Bishop-Gwyn (Toronto), published by Cormorant Books
2. Warlords: Borden, Mackenzie King and Canada's World Wars by Tim Cook (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane
3. Walls: Travels Along the Barricades by Marcello Di Cintio(Calgary), published by Goose Lane Editions
4. Journey with No Maps: A Life of P.K. Page by Sandra Djwa (Vancouver), published by McGill-Queen’s University PressSolar Dance: Van Gogh, Forgery, and the Eclipse of Certaintyby Modris Eksteins (Toronto), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
6. A Season in Hell: My 130 Days in the Sahara with Al Qaeda by Robert Fowler (Ottawa), published by HarperCollins Publishers
7. Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else by Chrystia Freeland (New York City), published by Doubleday Canada
8. March Forth: The Inspiring True Story Of A Canadian Soldier's Journey Of Love, Hope and Survival by Trevor and Debbie Greene (Nanaimo), published by HarperCollins Publishers
9. Leonardo and The Last Supper by Ross King (Oxford), published by Bond Street Books
10. Working the Dead Beat: 50 Lives that Changed Canada by Sandra Martin (Toronto), published by House of Anansi Press
11. Sword of the Spirit, Shield of Faith: Religion in American War and Diplomacy by Andrew Preston (Cambridge), published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada
12. What We Talk About When We Talk About War by Noah Richler (Toronto), published by Goose Lane Editions
13. Chronic Condition: Why Canada's Health Care System Needs to be Dragged into the 21st Century by Jeffrey Simpson (Ottawa), published by Allen Lane
14. Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite by Julija Sukys (Montreal), published by University of Nebraska Press
15. The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos by Neil Turok (Waterloo), published by House of Anansi Press

ANDREW WESTOLL winner of the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, journalist, and primatologist; was the headliner at the International Festival of Authors’ Spotlight on The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, where he again inspired all who attended with his heartfelt stories about life among a special family of chimpanzees at Fauna Sanctuary, outside Montreal, Quebec. The event was held in the Brigantine Room at Toronto’s York Quay Centre on Friday, October 26, 2012. Read more about the event here. Enjoy his talk again
here.

THE TRUSTEES OF the Charles Taylor Foundation salute Litfest — Edmonton’s
International Literary Festival — for their emphasis on the genre of
literary non-fiction. For the second year in a row, the current Charles
Taylor Prize finalists and winner were the headliners at Litfest's signature
event — shortlisted authors Charlotte Gill, JJ Lee, and Madeline Sonik and
winner Andrew Westoll gave readings and shared great food and music with
many fans of literary non-fiction. Wade Davis was unfortunately unable to
attend as he is out of the country. At 8:30 p.m. MT, host and author Curtis
Gillespie drew the crowd to attention to announce the 2013 prize jury and
they are: television programming visionary Susanne Boyce, award-winning
author Richard Gwyn, and Joseph Kertes, founder of the Humber School for
Writers. The trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation chose to again
announce its forthcoming prize jury at Litfest, in support of this popular
Edmonton-based International Literary Festival which concerns itself
primarily with works of non-fiction.

THE WINNER OF the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is Andrew Westoll for The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery, published by HarperCollins. Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize, announced the winner during a gala luncheon, hosted by CBC’s Mary Ito, at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto.
The jury, composed of authors Allan M. Brandt and Stevie Cameron, and publishing consultant Susan Renouf, read 115 books, submitted by 35 publishers from around the world, and chose the winner from their five-book shortlist, previously announced on January 10, 2012. The remaining prize finalists are Wade Davis author of Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of Everest, published by Knopf Canada; Charlotte Gill, author of Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe, published by Greystone Books in partnership with the David Suzuki Foundation; JJ Lee, author of The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, A Son, and a Suit, published by McClelland & Stewart; and Madeline Sonik, author of Afflictions & Departures: Essays, published by Anvil Press.
This is the eleventh awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. The national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception.

NEWS UPDATE — January 10, 20122012 PRIZE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

THIS MORNING NOREEN TAYLOR, founder of the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation, addressed an audience of publishers, booksellers, and media at the eleventh shortlist announcement in the history of the annual prize. The announcement took place in the Executive Lounge on the 40th floor of the RBC Plaza in downtown Toronto.
Mrs. Taylor noted that 115 books were received from 35 publishers around the world and were read by this year’s jury, composed of author and academic Allan M. Brandt, dean of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University; award-winning author Stevie Cameron, herself a finalist for the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize; and well-respected non-fiction editor and publishing consultant Susan Renouf. Ms Cameron and Ms Renouf spoke about the process of making their selections, announced each 2012 prize finalist and read the citation that the jury wrote for each of the shortlisted books. The finalists announced by the prize jurors are:Wade Davis, author of Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada;Charlotte Gill, author of Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe, published by Greystone Books in association with the David Suzuki Foundation;JJ Lee, author of The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit, published by McClelland & Stewart;Madeline Sonik, author of Afflictions & Departures: Essays, published by Anvil Press;Andrew Westoll, author of The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery, published by HarperCollins Publishers.

NEWS UPDATE — December 12, 2011Celebrating the CTP’s First Longlist

Noreen Taylor, founder of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and chair of the Charles Taylor Foundation is pictured here with Vijay Parmar, vice president of RBC Wealth Management. RBC Wealth Management is the presenting sponsor of the Prize. Jurors Allan M. Brandt, Stevie Cameron, and Susan Renouf announced today the 11 titles that remain in contention for the 2012 prize. Releasing the longlist provides the opportunity to promote the best of this year’s literary non-fiction in the all-important Christmas bookselling season. The shortlist will be announced on January 10, 2012 and the winner will be announced on March 5, 2012 at events in downtown Toronto.
Noreen Taylor said, “Last year, at our 10th anniversary, the jury informed us that there were so many additional titles so close to being named to the shortlist that we realized it was time to issue a longlist. Now, as I look at the longlisted titles, it is clear that it was the right decision. Our jury has sorted through the 115 submissions and selected a longlist that is diverse in subject and treatment. Having already read a number of these books, I know that the jury has lived up to our mandate. They have Recognized Excellence.”
The longlisted titles for The 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction are:
1. Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter by Carmen Aguirre, published by Douglas & McIntyre
2. Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis, published by Knopf Canada
3. The Patrol: Seven Days in the Life of a Canadian Soldier in Afghanistan by Ryan Flavelle, published by HarperCollins
4. Eating Dirt: Deep Forests, Big Timber, and Life with the Tree-Planting Tribe by Charlotte Gill, published by Greystone Books in association with the David Suzuki Foundation
5. Nation Maker: Sir John A. MacDonald: His Life, Our Times Volume Two: 1867 – 1891 by Richard Gwyn, published by Random House Canada
6. The Measure of a Man: The Story of a Father, a Son, and a Suit by J. J. Lee, published by McClelland & Stewart
7. Facing the Hunter: Reflections on a Misunderstood Way of Life by David Adams Richards, published by Doubleday Canada
8. Why Not? Fifteen Reasons to Live by Ray Robertson, published by Biblioasis
9. Afflictions and Departures: Essays by Madeline Sonik, published by Anvil Press
10. The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary: A Canadian Story of Resilience and Recovery by Andrew Westoll, published by HarperCollins
11. Bad Animals: A Father’s Accidental Education in Autism by Joel Yanofsky, published by Viking Canada

Friday, October 28, 2011, Noreen Taylor gathered a crowd of well-wishers to Harbourfront’s Fleck Dance Theatre to toast the tenth awarding of the Charles Taylor Prize at the International Festival of Authors, and to hear two important pieces of news about the prize:
RBC Wealth Management is now the Presenting Sponsor of The Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction, joining Major Sponsor Windfields Farm and a host of In-Kind Sponsors and supporters.
CBC Books, the network’s online portal for all things literary, is the prize’s newest media partner, joining The Globe and Mail and Quill & Quire magazine.
After the announcement, guests joined with festival attendees inside the Fleck theatre to hear what matters most to Taylor Prize nominated and winning authors Stevie Cameron, Charles Foran, Richard Gwyn, and Margaret MacMillan. Each author spoke individually and passionately about the true subjects they deal with in their writing. The public event was hosted by Paula Todd.

THIS EVENING, AT THE CHARLES TAYLOR PRIZE GALA AT EDMONTON’S LITFEST, author Greg Hollingshead announced the jury for The 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. This year’s jurors are Allan M. Brandt, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences and Pulitzer Prize finalist, award-winning author Stevie Cameron, and well-respected editor Susan Renouf.
On Tuesday, December 6th, the jury will announce a longlist of titles, to precede the all-important Christmas book buying season. The shortlist will be announced on Tuesday, January 10th and the winner of The 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction will be announced on Monday, March 5th at events to be held in downtown Toronto.

THE TRUSTEES OF the Charles Taylor Foundation salute Edmonton’s Litfest which focuses exclusively on non-fiction writing. Tickets are now available for Litfest’s gala on October 20th at the Garneau Theatre, where Charles Foran, winner of the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction will be re-united with fellow prize finalists Stevie Cameron, Ross King, George Sipos, Merrily Weisbord and 2005 winner and resident Edmontonian Rudy Wiebe. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit litfestalberta.org

THE WINNER OF the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is Charles Foran for Mordecai: The Life & Times, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada. Noreen Taylor, founder of the prize, announced the winner during a gala luncheon in downtown Toronto at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel.
The jury, composed of Neil Bissoondath, Eva-Marie Kröller, and David Macfarlane, read 153 books, submitted by 44 publishers, and chose the winner from a shortlist of five, previously announced on January 11, 2011. The remaining prize finalists are Stevie Cameron author of On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver’s Missing Women, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada; Ross King, author of Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven, published by Douglas & McIntyre/McMichael Canadian Art Collection; George Sipos, author of The Geography of Arrival: A Memoir, published by Gaspereau Press; and Merrily Weisbord, author of The Love Queen of Malabar: Memoir of a Friendship with Kamala Das, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
This is the tenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary non-fiction. The national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception.

THE FINALISTS FOR On Friday, January 28th, all five finalists for the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction – Stevie Cameron, Charles Foran, Ross King, George Sipos, and Merrily Weisbord, gathered with CTV Canada AM host Seamus O’Regan to tape the Arts&Minds Charles Taylor Writers’ Circle before a live studio audience.. The Charles Taylor Writers’ Circle will be broadcast on Saturday, February 12 and Sunday, February 13 on Bravo! Check www.bravo.ca for air times. The winner of this year’s Taylor Prize will be announced on Monday, February 14th, with live streaming via CP24 and Canada Newswire.

THE FINALISTS FOR the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction were announced today at a morning news conference in downtown Toronto. Author David Macfarlane spoke on behalf of the jury and read the names of the finalists, along with their jury citations.
The 2011 prize finalists are Stevie Cameron for her book On the Farm: Robert William Pickton and the Tragic Story of Vancouver’s Missing Women, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada; Charles Foran for his book Mordecai: The Life & Times, published by Alfred A. Knopf Canada; Ross King for his book Defiant Spirits: The Modernist Revolution of the Group of Seven, published by Douglas & McIntyre/McMichael Canadian Art Collection; George Sipos for his book The Geography of Arrival: A Memoir, published by Gaspereau Press; and Merrily Weisbord for her book The Love Queen of Malabar: Memoir of a Friendship with Kamala Das, published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.
The jury selected their five-book shortlist from 153 submissions, published between November 1, 2009 and October 31, 2010, and submitted by 44 publishers from across North America.
2011 marks the tenth awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in literary non-fiction. This national book award was established in 1998 to commemorate the life and work of one of Canada’s foremost literary non-fiction writers, the late Charles Taylor. First presented as a biennial award in 2000, and made annual in 2004, the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction is presented to a Canadian author whose book best demonstrates a superb command of the English language, an elegance of style and a subtlety of thought and perception.
The winner of the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction will be announced at a gala awards ceremony and luncheon, to be held at Le Meridien King Edward Hotel in downtown Toronto on Monday, February 14, 2011.

NOREEN TAYLOR chair of the board of trustees of the Charles Taylor Foundation, has announced that the jurors for the 2011 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction are Neil Bissoondath, Eva-Marie Kröller, and David Macfarlane. These three prominent Canadian authors served on the jury for the inaugural prize awarding in 2000. Read more about the 2011 jury in the National Post